Oh,
how things have changed!
This
reflects views toward cellists, the cello, its literature
and women among, some supposedly, knowledgeable experts
in the 50's. Although such attitudes were not universal,
they were held by many. Sigmund Spaeth who was highly
respected music critic for the New York Times and the
Boston Transcript and an editor for G. Schirmer, published
this article in 1950.
OPPORTUNITIES
IN MUSIC PLAYING THE CELLO
THE
violoncello, generally abbreviated to “cello” is a most
practical and useful instrument in the symphony orchestra
and some smaller ensembles, including the string quartet,
with limited opportunities also for solo work in the concert
field. There is room, however, for only a few stars at
a time and here again the female artist is handicapped
in competition with male perfumers. She not only face
the same problems as the feminine pianist or violinist,
for the same reasons, be she suffers from the awkward
and unattractive position demanded of a cellist, seated,
facing the audience with the cello held between the knees.
Some pretty girls have overcome this handicap, but actually
they would look far better at the harp or the piano or
holding up a violin or singing.
There
are other drawbacks to a cellist's making a favorable
impression on the average listener. In spite of all the
talk about the “human voice” of the cello, the fact remains
that its generally low range and lack of flexibility make
for some rather dull and ponderous effects, as compared
with the brilliant versatility of the violin. The quality
of the cello is analogous to the baritone or bass voice
among singers, which is admittedly less popular than the
higher-pitched and generally more flexible soprano or
tenor.
It
is difficult to make rapid passagework sound attractive
on a cello, the effect becoming too easily that of sawing
wood. The rich sustained tones have a definite appeal,
bet even these may grow monotonous without some variation,
except in short pieces like the Saint-Saens Swan. The
concert literature of the cello is actually quite limited,
particularly if the orchestral concertos are omitted.
For recital purposes, a cellist is usually wise to appear
jointly with some other performer, or even as an assisting
artist. Only a few men in (and no women) are remembered
today as virtuosos of the cello, including the great names
on the contemporary list.
But
if the concert field offers only limited opportunities
to solo cellists, male or female, there is a real demand
for such performers in symphony orchestras and other instrumental
groups and where the women can compete on almost equal
terms with the men. Good ensemble cellists are by no means
common today, and the well equipped performer in this
field should have no difficulty in finding steady employment,
with radio, record, and transcriptions added to the possibilities
of concert performances and teaching.
A
practical, experienced cellist can make approximately
the same income as a good violinist, the union scale being
identical throughout and the opportunities for earning
extra money quiet similar. The same qualities of tone,
technique, and temperament are required for successful
cello-playing as for the violin; but if anything they
must be even more marked, because or the more limited
possibilities of the instrument and lack of an adequate
and appreciative audience.
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